When will Shimano realise that not everyone wants a 11 or 12T bottom sprocket?

[AlanW]

I honestly don't understand the fixation by Shimano to do away with 12 and 13T bottom sprockets on their cassettes and insist that we buy an cassette with mainly a 11T as the last one?

I mean, and lets be honest, how often do you use an 11T? Surely much better to have the ones in the middle and maintain an even and smooth cadence.

That said, Shimano have just started doing a 14-28 11 speed cassette in the R8000 group set, and what a corker of a ratio it is to, and about time to. Ive been using it for a couple of weeks now to and from work, and its pretty ideal, although on the odd (very odd) occasion I would have liked a slightly bigger gear, but hey....I managed with it and enjoyed the ones in the middle more.

 

[ianrauk]

I'm a 12 teeth man
I find a 10 speed 12-25 the optimal gearing for my cycling but would be even happier to go from 12 to 13.

 

[Milkfloat]

Surely it depends on what you have up front? My stock bikes came with 50/34, therefore an 11 on the back is very welcome at times, with a 53/39 I don't use the 11 very often at all and would prefer some closer ratios.

 

[DCLane]

The 14-28 cassette will be popular with youth riders, as before they had to buy a specialist one.

Shimano used to do a 16-25 cassette in Ultegra 6600, which was also popular, but stopped it. They sell for decent money.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I'm a thirteen tooth man myself. 11 is just a waste of space on the cassette, I'd prefer either closer ratios or a bigger low gear sprocket.

Nobody has ever had to get off and walk down a hill because their gears weren't high enough.

 

[AlanW]

Surely it depends on what you have up front? My stock bikes came with 50/34, therefore an 11 on the back is very welcome at times, with a 53/39 I don't use the 11 very often at all and would prefer some closer ratios.

Very true, I also use 50/34 on all of my bikes and yes "at times" the 11 is very welcome. However, the ones in the middle prove more beneficial nearly every ride rather than once every now and again. So I can now go out and probably utilise all of the cassette rather than having 11 sprockets and only ever using 9 of them.

 

[AlanW]

The 14-28 cassette will be popular with youth riders, as before they had to buy a specialist one.

And audax riders I suspect?

 

[smutchin]

That said, Shimano have just started doing a 14-28 11 speed cassette in the R8000 group set

I share your opinion on 11-tooth sprockets so that sounds like just the ticket for me, but it's irritating that they're only offering it as an Ultegra option, not 105. I don't really want to pay £70 for a cassette!

 

[AlanW]

I share your opinion on 11-tooth sprockets so that sounds like just the ticket for me, but it's irritating that they're only offering it as an Ultegra option, not 105. I don't really want to pay £70 for a cassette!

Shop around, I only paid £52 for mine. But yes it is annoying that its only available in Ultegra? Its a bit like the 11sp 12-28 cassette that is only available in Dura Ace (£150!!) and not Ultegra or 105.....

 

[jowwy]

i use a 10t lower sprocket - but a 38t upfront

 

[Racing roadkill]

I like the 11 tooth sprockets. I like going looking for hills with cliff face downhills.

 

[rugby bloke]

I like the feeling of dropping onto the 11T ... followed by a mental impression of Captain Pickard commanding the Enterprise to enter warp speed. Sometimes I can even manage a mile before going back up the cassette ...

 

[Drago]

They sell what enough people want to buy.

 

[AlanW]

They sell what enough people want to buy.

More of a case of they sell what they want us to buy?

 

[smutchin]

I buy cassettes with 11-tooth sprockets because the alternative is... not riding my bike.

I could customise cassettes to better suit my needs but that starts to become very expensive.